Focusrite Saffire LE FireWire Audio Interface

Ultra-low latency. 6 inputs. 8 Outputs. Suite of Saffire plug-ins. 31 People rated this product:

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Manufacturer's Description for Focusrite Saffire LE FireWire Audio Interface

Six inputs and 8 outputs (including stereo digital I/O) with comprehensive monitoring and I/O control options ensure the recording musician has plenty of options for tracking and monitoring high quality audio. Focusrite build and sound quality, intelligent front-end design and a one-click GUI solution combine to guarantee an intuitive and trouble-free professional recording experience.

Although only the original Saffire has onboard DSP, the Saffire LE comes complete with the entire Saffire plug-in suite, offering highly acclaimed Compression, Reverb, Amp modeling and EQ in VST and AU formats. Furthermore, Saffire LE is bundled with a host of other software titles and audio samples, all included on the accompanying resources dvd.

As with the original Saffire, input and output levels and latency-free monitoring solutions can all be controlled via the accompanying SaffireControl LE software. This stylish application floats comfortably over any recording software, and can shrink in size to suit a number of different recording scenarios. Together with expertly designed analogue inputs and unrivalled digital conversion, Saffire LE is the perfect solution for discerning recording musicians on a budget.

Features:
Ultra-low latency Firewire interface

Unprecedented audio and conversion performance for the price

24-bit, 96kHz integrated A-D/D-A

6 inputs; 2 Focusrite preamps, 2 balanced Line I/Ps and stereo S/PDIF I/Ps

8 Outputs; 6 balanced analogue outputs for creating separate headphones/monitor mixes or 5.1 surround monitoring, plus stereo S/PDIF Out

Suite of Saffire plug-ins; VST/AU Compression, EQ, Amp modeling and Reverb

SaffireControl LE - Comprehensive level and monitoring control

Bundled Software Pack - Including Ableton Live 5 Lite, FXpansion's BFD Ultralite and GURU demo version and 470MB of samples, exclusively compiled for Focusrite by Loopmasters

Optional Recording Pack Includes:
1 x Sennheiser HD202 Closed Headphones

2 x Whirlwind EGC20 Guitar Instrument Cable (20 foot)

2 x CBI MLC20 Mic Cable (20 Foot) zZounds is an authorized dealer of Focusrite products.

Analog I/O
4 Analog Inputs:
2 x front panel XLR (mic) or 2 x front panel TRS Jacks (line/inst)
2 x rear panel TRS Jacks (line/inst)

Mic Gain: +13dB to + 60dB

Line 1&2 Gain: -10dB to +36dB

Instrument Gain: +13dB to +60dB

Line 3&4 Gain: +16dBu or +10dBV for full scale input (software switchable)

6 analog outputs

6 x rear panel TRS Jacks

Nominal output level 0dBFS = 16dBu, balanced

Front Panel Analog Volume control for outputs 1&2

Software Digital Volume control for outputs 3-6

All outputs are useable as monitoring outputs

DIGITAL I/O
2 x SPDIF (RCA phono) on rear panel (24-bit, 96kHz) Output transformer isolated

Clock Source: Internal clock or sync to word clock on SPDIF

MIDI I/O
1 in / 1 out on rear panel

FireWire S400
2 ports

Power
Either via FIREWIRE or external PSU (included)

Headphone Monitoring
1 x 1/4 in. TRS Jack on front panel (mirrors outputs 3-4)

High power headphone driver

Class-Leading Performance

Analog Performance - Inputs

Mic
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1 dB

THD+N: 0.001% (measured at 1kHz with a 20Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

Noise: EIN > 120dB (measured at 60dB of gain with 150 Ohm termination (20Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

Line
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1dB

THD+N: 0.001% (measured with 0dBFS input and 22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

Noise: -88dBu (22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

Instrument
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1dB

THD+N: 0.004% (measured with 0dBu input and 20Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

Noise: -87dBu (20Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

Analog Performance - Outputs
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.2dB

THD+N :<0.0014% (measured with 0dBFS input 22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

Digital Performance
A/D Dynamic Range: 104dB 'A-weighted' (inputs 1+2)

A/D Dynamic Range: 106dB 'A-weighted' (inputs 3+4)

D/A Dynamic Range: > 105dB 'A-weighted' (all outputs)

Clock Jitter < 250 pico seconds

Sample Rate: 44.1 to 96kHz

Weight and Dimensions
1.1kg - 6.5cm x 17cm x 17cm

System Requirements

Saffire LE 1.1
Mac
- SaffireControl 1.1
- Firmware Update 1.1

Windows XP (All versions) & Vista (All versions except 64bit)
- ASIO & WDM drivers 2.2.7
- SaffireControl LE 1.2

NOTE (Mac Only): The 1.2 firmware update fixes a problem with SPDIF syncronisation. The firmware updater is installed in /Applications/Focusrite Saffire LE.

Focusrite Warranty

Focusrite Warranty

If you have additional warranty questions, please call the manufacturer at 866-FOCUSRITE

zZounds is an
authorized Focusrite dealer

Our extended 30-Day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee applies on this product. Buy it, and if it isn't just right for you, return it!

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What Our Customers Are Saying About zZounds "zZounds has been my favorite musical equipment retailer for years and I couldn't be more satisfied." - customer on January 16th, 2012

Customer Reviews

4 out of 5 (31 ratings) Rate and Review This Product

Read all 4 Focusrite Saffire LE FireWire Audio Interface Reviews

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us. "Transparent sound, great deal."

Sound: the sound of this thing is really good: transparent and clear. and it works with my external firewire drive (all into one port on my macbook). It is connected to a pair of Genelec 8020a via Balanced output and it sounds very good. it is bigger than I thought though, and it's not a really good-looking piece of gear. but it works well so who cares.

Style of Music: Classical, Alternative

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zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us. "You can't go wrong with Saffire LE when it comes to FireWire Audio Interface"

Sound: The first time I listed to my electric/acoustic recording through this, my ears melted. it captures the sound as crisp and smooth as you can imagine. I've always plugged it into my Crate amp and thought I was getting everything. The sound quality on this is excellent to say the least. Feature: It has a decent set of features. I honestly have not gone through them all in detail but from the looks of it, looks like has everything you would want from an audio interface device. One of the nicest things in my opinion is the drivers for this device. It's a very light install 1.8 MB and the mixer UI on it is superb. This was something important for me and honestly many of the others lacked this appeal. Ease of Use: It's pretty straight forward using this device. If you're in windows, I suggest you all together disable your onboard sound card and have everything go through this. It might be a little confusing since windows wants you to choose a primary sound device for recording and playback and the individual applications also allow you to choose. This might be a little confusing for some. Quality: It's built pretty solid. I especially like the firm feel and smoothness of the knobs. The face appears to be plastic but the body seems to be aluminum. Value: You can't beat it for the $250 I paid for it. The Wow Factor: You shouldn't really look at the visual aspects of a sound device. What good is it if it looks pretty but sounds horrible? Overall though, I like the simple look of this. Straight to the point with not too many useless features. Overall: I did a lot of research before choosing this audio interface. I looked at many of the other audio interface devices in the same class but this just had everything I was looking for. I looked at the Firebox, Edirol and a couple others but one of the most important things for me was the software and drivers. So many of the devices out there use bloated software drivers. Ever wonder why a sound driver is 50 MB? Complexity is the enemy of software! The drivers for this thing are only 1.7 MB! very light weight and to the point. The mixer UI is beautiful as well. This is something most of the other devices were lacking in my opinion. Besides the drivers, the next most important thing is sound quality and boy does this deliver. The sound from this is so smooth crisp and warm that you'll wonder how something so small and inexpensive can produce it. I decided to go with a firewire version since I travel with my laptop and a PCI device wouldn't work for me. Just keep in mind that everything I've stated here is my opinion and I honestly have not compared this to any of audio interface besides my onboard sound card. One thing I'm pretty sure about is my ability to distinguish sound quality so I can at least say with confidence that the sound quality is superb for the price.

Style of Music: Classical, Rock, Alternative

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Read all 4 Focusrite Saffire LE FireWire Audio Interface Reviews